A bus with Chinese-speaking tourists crushes in Utah; 4 dead



[ad_1]

This photo provided by the Utah Road Patrol shows a tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists after its crash near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and severely wounding several others on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Utah Patrol Road via AP)

This photo provided by the Utah Road Patrol shows a tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists after its crash near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and severely wounding several others on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Utah Patrol Road via AP)

© provided by the Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists crashed while he was heading to a Utah national park, killing four people and injuring 15 seriously injured people. Friday the authorities.

It appears that the driver may have sidetracked a two-lane highway to Bryce Canyon National Park and then attempted to overcharge by sending the tour bus on a guardrail, the county sheriff said. from Garfield, Danny Perkins.

The driver survived and was discussing with Sgt investigators from the Utah Road Patrol. Nick Street said. The driver apparently was not intoxicated, but the authorities were still investigating, he said.

The accident occurred near a roadside stop located about 11 km from the park's entrance, known for its narrow red rock spiers. It was windy, but it was not loud enough to cause problems, Street said.

The photos show the top of a crushed white bus and a side being peeled off, the vehicle stopping almost at the edge of the road against a sign indicating a toilet.

The bus was carrying 31 people, including the driver, and 12 to 15 of them were seriously injured. Ten other people have had minor to serious injuries, said Utah's road patrol on Twitter.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate.

Injured victims were sent to three hospitals. The Intermountain Garfield Memorial Hospital reported receiving 17 patients, three in critical condition and 11 in serious condition.

The patients were also taken to hospitals in Cedar City and St. George.

Chinese tourists are the fastest-growing tourist group in Utah, and more than half use tourist buses, said Vicki Varela, executive director of the Utah Tourism Board.

The Chinese Embassy tweeted that he was saddened to hear about the accident and that she was sending staff to help the victims.

Bryce Canyon, located approximately 480 km south of Salt Lake City, attracts more than 2 million visitors a year.

___

Brady McCombs, Associated Press writer, contributed to the writing of this report.

[ad_2]

Source link